Meanwhile, In Twilight Town
by Anteaterina
Summary: [Alterz] A collection of ficlets about the Twilight Town charactes. [FuuOlette][onesided PenceOlette][other pairings later, maybe]
1. Makes No Difference

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all its characters belong to Squeenix and Disney, not me

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Makes No Difference

By Alterz

She saw them coming over Seifer's shoulder—Hayner's gang—and pointed them out.

The fact that Olette was there made no difference.

Seifer shouted, Hayner shouted. And if the two girls took no part, what did it matter?

She eyed the enemy as the accusations raged on. Her eyes scanned over a boy, and another boy, and Olette, who had not meant to look up just then. Their eyes locked for the smallest second. Fuu remained indifferent.

She did not blush.

She did not fidget.

If her heart beat a little faster, who was to know?

Their eyes moved on.

And Olette didn't seem to notice; and Fuu didn't seem to care.

After all, they were enemies.

Even if Olette secretly noticed; even if Fuu secretly cared.

They were still enemies.

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Hooray for beginning chapters! I may as well say this now; there is no story plot. Merely ficlets which fall on the same timeline, and therefore develop based on each other. I don't think these can even be called chapters, they're so short. Either way, next bit soon.

Alterz


	2. Smile

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all its characters belong to Squeenix and Disney, not me.

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Smile

By Alterz

Three teenagers could be seen on top of the clock tower. There were told that it was foolish. They were told that it was dangerous. Yet there they were again.

After all, the clock tower had the best view in town.

Pence was on the right, Olette on the left, and Hayner sat in the middle. It was just like in the usual spot, only now they were fifty feet in the air.

Pence and Olette sat at slight angles, turned so that they could see Hayner's energetic reenactment of the day's adventures. His hands spoke more than his words, and there was an eager gleam in his eyes. If that wasn't drawing the eyes of his audience, then the occasional need to dodge the ice-cream he was swinging around did.

In the middle of the story, Pence let his attention slip just a little and stole a glance at Olette. The glow of the falling sun was reflected in her eyes and on her auburn hair.

She wasn't watching Hayner, either. Pence tried to follow her gaze into the town, but what—or who—she was looking at was hidden from him.

He saw her smile—a small and completely subconscious smile—and felt a small pain that the smile wasn't for him.

His neglected ice-cream slipped off the stick and fell into his lap.

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Woe. Isn't it just so tragic?

Alterz


	3. Don't Worry

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all its characters belong to Squeenix and Disney, not me.

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Don't Worry

By Alterz

"I know you don't know; I'm asking what you _think_," Pence said as Hayner took a shot.

"I still say you should ask her yourself," Hayner replied.

"I can't ask that!" Pence caught the rebound, and bounced the ball meditatively. "But I'm not sure if I'm reading her wrong, so I want your opinion."

"Well, what makes you think she likes someone? And either throw the ball, or pass it here," he snapped.

"Fine." Pence turned, and tossed the ball smoothly through the basket. "And I'm not sure what it is," he paused while Hayner caught the wayward basketball. "I suppose she just seems a little more," he fumbled with his words, "spacey."

"'Spacey'?" Hayner raised an eyebrow and threw the ball again.

"Distracted? I don't know, that's not really the right word. It's just—"

"Okay, stop. I think I get what you're trying to say."

Finally picking up the ball which had bounced to a stop by his foot, Pence responded, "So what do you think?"

"I think, if Olette liked someone, we'd know. Who would it be, anyway? Seifer?" Hayner laughed, half disgusted by his own comment.

Pence smiled for a second, and threw the ball into the hoop again. "It just seems like—"

"Forget about it," Hayner interrupted. "Why do you care, anyway? Just leave it alone."

Pence had the unnerving feeling that Hayner could see right through him.

"I'm just sick of wondering."

"Too bad." Hayner tucked the ball under his arm and wandered over to him. "She's a girl. You will _never_" with undue emphasis on that last word "understand girls. They work differently, up here." He pointed to his head, then smiled reassuringly. "'Kay?"

Pence smiled back. "Yeah, okay."

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I am unhappy with this chapter, but I am the only person who thinks it's bad. Therefore, _any_ commentary on this is appreciated. Especially if it will help me with my dialogue. I am not so good at writing dialogue.

Please and thank you!

Alterz


	4. The Casual Observer

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts and all its characters belong to Squeenix and Disney, not me.

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The Casual Observer

By Alterz

It Took Fuu exactly three steps to pass the Usual Spot. This was something she had subconsciously taken not of, walking by it almost daily.

She looked out the side of her eye as she rounded the corner, hoping for a glimpse of its occupants.

Fuu could see inside. Three of them were sitting in there, again. Hayner and Pence seemed to be doing all of the talking while Olette listened.

One step. Olette said something which Fuu couldn't hear. Hayner's response was energetic, so much so that he jumped up from his seat.

Two steps. Fuu had to turn her head slightly to keep them in view. Olette laughed, a broad smile on her face. Fuu hesitated for just a second.

Three steps, and the wall hid them from view. She faced forward again, sped up to her regular pace, and continued on her way to the Sand Lot.

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Three weeks without an update; I feel bad that this is all I have to offer.

On a different note, I'm actually happy with how this chapter came out. It's essentially exactly what I was going for, unlike most of the stuff I write.

Alterz


	5. A Civil Conversation

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squeenix and Disney.

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A Civil Conversation

By Alterz

"What are you staring at?" Ordinarily he wouldn't have approached her like this, but there was something odd about the look on Fuu's face.

She spared Pence the smallest of glances, then pointed to a woman in the nearby crowd of people. "Her."

Following the aim of the finger, Pence quickly picked out the subject of Fuu's scrutiny. He did a double-take.

"Are you looking at the woman, or the, uh—"

"Ribbons."

"Yes. They're, um, an interesting color, aren't they?"

Fuu snorted. "Ugly," she corrected.

"It might look good if the ribbons weren't that color." Fuu stared at him. "Or in pigtails," he added. She looked away again.

"Childish," she stated disapprovingly.

The woman disappeared into the crowd. They stayed there a little longer, watching the place where she'd been. Then, her interest depleted, Fuu walked away, leaving Pence standing there by himself.

- - -

Olette was already at the Usual Spot when Pence arrived. She looked up and smiled as he stepped inside.

"Hey, Pence."

He looked around. "Where's Hayner?"

"I'm not sure. He's probably on his way."

Pence walked over to his spot and sat down. "I ran into Fuu on the way over here."

A shocked look briefly crossed Olette's face. "What happened?"

"Nothing. We actually talked a little." He smiled a little at her relieved expression. "You know, she's not so bad when Seifer and Rai aren't around."

"There was something slightly different in Olette's smile. "No, she's not so bad at all."

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Originally, this was a one-shot like all the others. Then Liz3 stated her opinion ("What was the _point_?), and the second half was written. 

This brings up an interesting question. I have no idea where Seifer and Rai have been this whole time. Seifer was mentioned in chapter one, and we can assume Rai was there, too, but they seem to have disappeared since then. This can't be a good sign.

Alterz


	6. For Old Time's Sake

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squeenix and Disney.

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For Old Time's Sake

By Alterz

In Hayner's backyard stood an old basketball hoop.

It was small, the type of thing parents buy for small children. Weeds were beginning to grow around the base, and the plastic had become discolored. The family just hadn't bothered to throw it away. Hayner wouldn't have minded; he and Pence didn't use it anymore.

A few feet away was a pile of boxes. They were older than the hoop, though by only a little, and had served the same purpose as it had. When they had been old enough to handle a ball, Pence and Hayner had combined their meager allowances to buy one so that they could play somewhere other than at school. They had scavenged through the alley behind the supermarket and taken the boxes that the produce had come in. Back at the house, the boys had stacked them up into something they could practice with. An apple crate had served as the base, and then they'd placed a smaller box on top as a makeshift hoop. They thought it was ingenious at the time.

Three weeks later Hayner's father bought the hoop. He wanted the boxes out of his yard.

The children had stubbornly refused to let him take them. They sat on the boxes for what must have been hours, hip to hip so that they could both fit on top. Eventually, his father had surrendered, sick of dealing with them.

Eventually, Hayner and Pence had moved on to the plastic hoop, and then, once they were taller, to the real courts at the park. The boxes remained where they were. Hayner still went out to them sometimes. He was too big to sit on them anymore, but he _could_ seat himself next to them and daydream; daydream of old times and childish closeness and a battle won. For old time's sake.

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I have discovered a pattern in my writing. All of the chapters which I am unhappy with (and which everyone else says are fine) involve Hayner and Pence interacting. All two of them. Hopefully, the next time will break the streak. 

Alterz


	7. Memories

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squeenix and Disney.

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Memories

By Alterz

A long time ago, they had been friends.

The girls had met at daycare, when they were old enough to walk and old enough to (sort of) talk, but still too young for school. A very small Fuu had been sitting by herself when the teacher came towards her, a very small Olette trailing behind. The woman introduced them hurriedly and left almost immediately, as though she didn't want to bother with two children too quiet to join the rest of the group.

The center of the room was filled with energetic little kids playing and laughing and waiting for sign-in to be over so that they could go outside. On the edge of the room, two girls sat in awkward silence and faced a childhood dilemma: a companion they had not chosen, or no companion at all.

For about a week they simply gravitated to each other, inwardly hoping that someone new would walk through the door and give them a reason to walk away. The teacher paid them little mind, seeing their physical proximity as friendship.

Eight days passed before they spoke; before Olette spoke, really. They began playing together, with the non-toxic crayons or the small collection of board games available to them. It was an easy friendship, a casual togetherness not often seen in children so young.

They carried on like that for a year, and then, abruptly, they stopped. One day, they did not come to daycare. One day, they went to kindergarten, in different schools, and time passed, and Olette opened up, and Fuu closed in, and when they met again, in high school, they did not recognize each other at all.

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Meaning that this whole chapter may as well have never happened, because it impacts nothing. I couldn't help but laugh when I realized that. 

Also, this is the last of the childhood chapters, I swear. For now, at least. On second thought, I promise nothing.

Alterz


	8. Night Patrol

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squeenix and Disney.

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Night Patrol

By Alterz

The street seemed to glow where the streetlights shone down. The light was steady and bright, breaking as the shadow of a passing figure interrupted it.

Seifer was the only person on the road as he quietly made his way along. There wasn't much to do at night; there was no reason to be out. This was sneaking out for the sake of sneaking out, wandering the streets simply to prove that he could.

It was a warm night, but not unbearable. The ends of his coat rippled in the occasional breeze, sending a shudder through his shadow.

The streetlights disappeared as he entered the residential neighborhood, but he knew the area well, and the moonlight was easy enough to see by. It was a hard area to get lost in, anyway.

He stepped up to a darkened house, the first stop on the night's expedition. A few moments passed, and then Rai slipped out of the shadows at the side of the house. Seifer greeted him—a silent nod of the head, a sly grin—and walked away. Rai fell into step behind him, following his leader, as usual.

There was nothing to do; they could have chosen to do nothing during the day, but they chose to do it at night. It was just sneaking out for the sake of sneaking out.

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No one who doesn't know me would believe how long it took to write this. 

And, hey, look who's back; Seifer and Rai, after seven chapters of sitting on the sidelines. It's about time. Maybe I'll actually manage to keep them in the story now.

Alterz


End file.
